Four Star Homes Blog

Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or a retiree looking to downsize, it can be hard to decipher which type of home will fit the best within your budget. If you’re unsure where to start, manufactured homes are a great choice as they’re typically easier to maintain and afford. If you find that a manufactured home is right for you, you’ll need to plan out what location you’d like to live in, the layout of the home, and what you can afford. Follow along for more tips on how to find a manufactured home that’s within your budget. Plan Out Your Budget It can be hard to plan out on paper what type of home works best for you, especially if you’re new to owning a home. Take time to sit down and look at your incoming finances. Examine the current monthly payments you’re responsible for and create an estimate ...
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Kristina Marshall If you're living in a manufactured or mobile home or are planning to downsize to one, your space is really valuable. How do you create a nice, comfortable interior on a small footprint? Organizing the space in your mobile home for optimal comfort and utility is your first step, and a bedroom is a good place to start. Most mobile homes have multiple bedrooms, and you can create space in each for storage and comfort. Many of these homes have more than 1000 square feet, which gives you some good space to start with. Think Vertically One of the best ways to maximize space in a mobile home bedroom is to use under-bed space. Also, consider a loft or bunk bed that allows you to use space closer to the ceiling. You should also consider mattress dimensions and the footprint of your bed in the room. Bed frame ...
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(Originally published on MHVillage.com) The Role of Mobile Home Insulation Insulation plays an important role in maintaining the livability of your mobile home. The proper insulation will not only ensure that your home remains comfortable throughout the year, but it can also save you significant money on heating bills. The main difference between mobile and manufactured homes is their time of construction. The mobile home is the name for the homes built before 1976 when the construction became more strictly regulated. A home built after these regulations is referred to as a manufactured home. If you live in an older mobile home, there is a good chance that it has poor insulation, if any at all. There is also a possibility of gaps in insulation throughout your home. This is all a result of minimal supervision of building standards prior to 1976. So, once you start planning a renovation, insulation ...
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(Originally published on MHVillage.com) Amazing furniture and decor options exist for every size of manufactured home. For owners of compact manufactured homes, it’s particularly important to pick the mobile home furniture that allows you to maximize your space and create a great interior flow for your home. Here, we’ll discuss some rules of thumb for choosing mobile home furniture that’s both economical and elegant. In addition, you’ll find some recommendations for mobile home furniture pieces that will look great in a wide variety of mobile home floor plans. Know your home’s dimensions and examine furniture sizes carefully. Before you start shopping for furniture, find the dimensions of your mobile home floor plan, either by using a measuring tape or by checking the documentation that came with your home. Remember that walking space between two pieces of furniture should generally be at least 18 inches, and measure your ceiling height as ...
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(Originally published on MHVillage.com) One of the great things about manufactured and mobile homes is that they are relatively easy to expand. But, by no means can we regard these expansions as cheap. Some home expansions can easily cost a fortune, even though you are dealing with a manufactured home. Luckily, there are certain budget-friendly ways to expand with mobile home additions. Today, we will explore what they are and how to implement them properly. Understanding Mobile Home Additions Adding on to a manufactured or mobile home is much cheaper than doing so for a traditional site-built home. However, that doesn’t mean that it comes cheap. Any home expansion is bound to be costly, especially if you want it properly handled. And, depending on how much you want to expand, it can end up costing you a fair bit. So, in order to make your mobile home additions budget-friendly, you ...
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When you're selling your mobile or manufactured home, you want it to be easy.
You might think that listing your home yourself will be easier than hiring an agent. It may also seem like a cheaper option. If you list it yourself, that means you don't have to pay anyone sales commission, right?
Yes, but...
There are all kinds of hidden costs and inconveniences when you choose to list "for sale by owner", or FSBO.
Before deciding to go the FSBO route, we offer you these considerations.

Sale Price
How much do you want to list your home for? How much will it sell for?
Without a full understanding of the market, you may price your home wrong.
If you list your home too high, it could take many months to sell at that price—if it even sells at all. If you ...
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If you're looking for a great social life after retirement, look no further than a 55+ manufactured home community in Central Florida! Many have year-round events and special holiday celebrations to give residents the opportunity to have fun and mingle.
The Lakes at Leesburg is no exception. In addition to their much-anticipated annual golf cart Christmas parade, their entertainment committee throws events for nearly every holiday.
This year for Halloween they hosted a Vampires Ball, complete with a DJ, snacks and appetizers, spooky decor, and a costume contest.
Pam O'Grady, Lakes of Leesburg board member and resident, filled us in on the festivities. (She's also a Four Star Homes sales agent!) Four Star Homes: How long has the Lakes at Leesburg Halloween party been running?
Pam O'Grady: The Entertainment Committee put on the first Halloween party in 2016 after many years of hiatus. It started with ...
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As Florida's largest and most experienced full-service mobile and manufactured home brokerage company, we wouldn't be where we are today without our incredible agents!
Many of our agents live in the manufactured home communities they work in, which makes them experts on the lifestyle.
We also believe in making personal connections with our clients. Whether someone is selling their mobile home or looking to buy a manufactured home in Central Florida, our agents will take the time to answer any questions and make the process as smooth as possible.
Many of our agents love working with Four Star Homes because it builds a sense of community. They also enjoy flexible schedules, with the ability to work as much or as little as they choose. In fact, many of our agents join us after retirement!
Colleen Kramer
Colleen is both a mobile home sales agent and ...
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(Article from Blue National HVAC)
Heating and cooling a mobile or manufactured home can be challenging. The space is smaller than traditional homes, so it’s easier to heat and cool, but there’s no attic or basement to house HVAC equipment, there’s less space for ductwork, and no homeowner wants a furnace or bulky AC unit taking up room in their mobile home.
Luckily, there are several HVAC options that make conditioning the air in your mobile home possible and practical, and some can even reduce your running and maintenance costs.
Ductless Mini-split
One of the most popular HVAC systems for manufactured homes is the ductless mini-split. These systems include a small condenser outside and a wall-mounted unit or ceiling-mounted vent inside. They take up almost no living space and are usually very energy efficient, so they’re an excellent option for smaller mobile homes.
Ductless mini-splits ...
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(Written by Susan Doktor, Money.com)
How long have you been looking forward to your retirement?
You know what we’re talking about. Saying sayonara to your morning commute and hello to a relaxing cup of coffee—or two—on your porch. Bidding contentious coworkers a final farewell. Deleting weekly staff meetings from your calendar permanently and scheduling things that really matter to you. No doubt you’ve been painting your own picture-perfect vision of what life will be like when you stop working for some years. But how long have you been preparing financially to make your dream come true?
If you aren’t entirely confident that you’re in the best position to retire, you’re not alone.
Nearly a quarter of all workers in the US have no retirement savings whatsoever. And 72% of Americans feel they haven’t saved enough to retire comfortably. That’s why many retirees look closely at their ...
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